Conventional structured compositions typically employ various types of waxes as structuring agents in order to form user-friendly products having good stability properties, particularly with respect to temperature stability and good pay-off. Payoff is a term used to describe both the amount of product applied onto a target substrate, as well as the way the product distributes onto the substrate. The problem with wax-based stick compositions is that they possess an undesirable waxy feel and inherently reduce the shine of any shine-imparting ingredients present in the stick composition.
Attempts have been made to formulate structured gel compositions in the absence of wax. For example, various types of polyamides have been commercialized as gellators/structuring agents in order to form solid compositions. Similarly, various glutamides, as well as various types of polyurethanes have also been employed in order to form solid, preferably clear, compositions. Such attempts, however, while successful at making solid compositions, possess numerous technical problems.
One of the technical problems involves the phenomenon known as “syneresis” whereby during storage of the solid compositions, particularly at slightly elevated temperatures, the surface of the solid composition develops distinct oil droplets which are not re-absorbed by the solid composition after its cooling to normal room temperature. Thus, the storage stability of such solid compositions leaves much to be desired.
Another technical problem relates to product pay-off. Some compositions having wax as structuring agents can have poor pay-off. Thus, in order to avoid such deposit issues, it is necessary that the product possess certain hardness/elasticity properties.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide non-aqueous, structured, gel-form carrier compositions capable of carrying various types of active ingredients that do not suffer from the aforementioned technical problems.